Indian CricketCricInfoIndian Cricket


Advertise on CricInfo
InternationalMore | DomesticMore | DatabaseMore | WomenMore | AssociationsMore | NewsMore
Players
nul
  Men
nul
 Current
 Full list
nul
  Women

 Current
 Full list
nul
Grounds
nul
Domestic
nul
nul
StatsGuru

StatsGuru Search for statistics on players & teams
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Vijay Merchant

Portrait of Vijay Merchant

Vijaysingh Madhavji Merchant

Born: 12 October 1911, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra
Died: 27 October 1987, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra
Major Teams: Hindus, Mumbai, India.
Known As: Vijay Merchant
Also Known As: real name Vijay Madhavji Thakersey
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium


Test Debut: India v England at Bombay, 1st Test, 1933/34
Last Test:
India v England at Delhi, 1st Test, 1951/52

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1937

Career Statistics:

TESTS
 (career)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding   10   18   0   859  154   47.72   3   3    7   0

                      O      M     R    W    Ave   BBI    5  10    SR  Econ
Bowling               9      0    40    0    -     -      0   0    -   4.44

FIRST-CLASS
 (career: 1929/30 - 1950/51)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding  150  234  46 13470  359*  71.64  45  52  115   0

                    Balls    M     R    W    Ave   BBI    5  10    SR  Econ
Bowling              5087  212  2088   65  32.12  5-73    1   0  78.2  2.46

- Explanations of First-Class and List A status courtesy of the ACS.


StatsGuru Filters for Vijay Merchant



Articles about Vijay Merchant



Pictures of Vijay Merchant


Profile:

Vijay Merchant was the classicist who played every ball according to its merits with an air of the schoolmaster taking a tutorial for wide eyed pupils. "Bowl him six bad balls and he would hit every one for four. Bowl him six good ones and he would stop every one", wrote an awed John Arlott. A flawless technique combined with a soundness of judgement and a colossal yen for runs translated into a career first class average of 71.64 and an even more Bradmanesque figure of 98.35 in the Ranji Trophy. Although Merchant was the name under which he courted fame, it was not his real name but his family occupation, which his principal at school bizarrely appended. Batting at No. 6 in his first Test series against England in 1933-34, Merchant secured just one fifty in six innings. He then gravitated to the opening spot which he found to be his real metier. All his ten Tests were against the old colonial power, which he first toured in 1936, setting his seal with an imperturbable Test hundred at Old Trafford.

Although he played every shot with a practised ease, Merchant was justly renowned for his late cut which according to one critic, "he played so late that sometimes he seemed to snatch the ball from the wicketkeeper's clutches". His second tour of England in 1946 saw him carve out 2385 runs at 74.53 and he was acknowledged to have few equals in the art of batting on wet wickets. Merchant's 154 at Delhi in 1951-52 was India's highest individual innings in Tests until Hazare surpassed it a few hours later but there was to be no retort from the former. Having aggravated an old shoulder injury while fielding, Merchant called it a day at the age of 40. (Sankhya Krishnan)


help@cricinfo.com
CricInfo USA #5 siteOther Mirror Sites
East Timor: help provide clean water, shelter, food, medical supplies

CricInfo Australia cluster CricInfo India cluster CricInfo New Zealand cluster CricInfo Pakistan cluster CricInfo South Africa cluster CricInfo Sri Lanka cluster CricInfo UK cluster CricInfo USA cluster